CARSON – Like a lot of matches this season, Chivas USA was left with an empty feeling.

And no, not just because Home Depot Center might as well have been empty Tuesday night in the CONCACAF Champions League meeting with Tauro FC of Panama.

No one announced an official attendance – let’s say dozens stormed the gates. Only six sections of seats were open for spectators.

In fact, the play-by-play television camera was placed on the opposite side of the stadium to avoid showing a backdrop of completely empty seats on the east side.

Chivas was once again left to lament a number of missed opportunities and couldn’t erase the damage and the 1-1 tie eliminated the Goats from the competition.

“It’s very difficult to lose like this,” Chivas coach Preki said. “I thought the game should have been over in the first half, we had so many opportunities.”

Needing to win by two goals after Tauro’s 2-0 victory in Panama City on Aug. 26, Chivas seemed on its way when Roberto Nurse scored in the first half. Then the hopes were dashed first when defender Jonathan Bornstein picked up a second yellow card in the 52nd minute, leaving Chivas with 10 players, and Luis Moreno’s goal in the 62nd minute.

That advanced Tauro with the 3-1 aggregate into the group play phase of the tournament, and sent Chivas back to MLS play with an 0-for-3 effort in outside tournaments this year.

Tauro FC seemed content with sitting back on its half of the field early, letting Chivas expend all of its energy in search of the equalizing goals. And then Chivas went about its way coming up empty during a first half that included Sacha Kljestan being stopped on a penalty kick by Tauro FC goalkeeper Willington Dominguez, who basically couldn’t latch onto anything else all night, though he made some key saves with deflections in the closing moments.

Only one goal got past him when Nurse, the son of a Panamanian father, collected a pass from Bornstein, pivoted to his left and nailed a left-footer into the lower left corner of the goal in the 42nd minute.

That erased a half of failure for Chivas. In the 12th minute, Justin Braun’s shot from 12 yards beat Dominguez, but defender Leonel Parris headed the ball off the line. Nine minutes later, after drawing a yellow card for Nurse, Dominguez scrambled to his left to deny Kljestan.

Dominguez was saved by his crossbar when Atiba Harris redirected a pass from Braun.

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